Geography 309, Climate and Meteorology

This page updated 30 January 2008.

Spring Semester, 2008, Wednesday (section 001) and Thursday (section 002), 7:20pm
Innovation Hall, room 320, GMU Fairfax Campus

Syllabus for Spring Semester, 2008, and the GIS Weather Project

Course Description: Unofficially known as GIS Meteorology - "Elements of meteorology; analysis of world distribution of meteorological controls as the basis of regional climate variations (Natural Science Credit). Prerequisite: GEOG 102 or equivalent, or permission of the instructor." Please note that the instructor has been very totally flexible with the GEOG 102 requirement.

Course Text: Ahrens (2008), Meteorology Today, Eighth Edition
Optional Text: Stull (2000), Meteorology for Scientists an Engineers, Second Edition
Instructor: S. T. Shipley, Ph.D. Meteorology (1978), University of Wisconsin, Madison. Formerly with Raytheon and ERT, Inc., Dr. Shipley is President and CEO of WxAnalyst, Ltd.

Grading Policy: Final grade will be objectively calculated based on performance in two categories (50% hard work & 50% quizzes/exams) valued as follows:
200 points - Quizzes (10 @ 20 points each)
300 points - Exercises (10 @ 30 points each)
200 points - Field Trip, Paper, and/or a Project
100 points - EXAM I - in class
100 points - EXAM II - take home
100 points - FINAL EXAM

In accordance with GMU policy, grades will be assigned as A (940 points or better), A- (>900), B+ (>860), B (>820), B- (>780), C+ (>740), C (>700), see GMU Catalog. Student scores in excess of 1000 points are given the A+ rating and are possible through Extra Credit.

This course is also offerred for graduate credit as GEOG 698. Permission of both the instructor and Geography Chair is required. GEOG 698 students meet all requirements for GEOG 309 plus additional research by agreement with the instructor.


To contact S. T. Shipley:

Dr. Shipley's Office, office hours by appointment, c/o
Department of Geography, Mail Stop 1E2
George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-4444